Memories of Light
by Shinmechslade
Summary: Ryo is a top secret agent for an inter-dimension control force and has gone rogue. Ruki has crossed dimensions to find him while the inter-dimension force sends someone to hunt him down. [UPDATED : CHAP 7]
1. Prologue

Memories of Light: Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or Cowboy Bebop. Nor do I own Yoko Kanno or the song Ask DNA which is listed at the end. Thanks goes to www.animelyrics.com where I found the lyrics for the song.

* * *

A/N: This is a departure from my main series. Its continuation depends mostly on how many reviews I get and whether there is any interest in keeping it going. It is also a homage to the Cowboy Bebop movie. That doesn't mean that I'll rip out the plot one hundred percent but there will be many moments that will feel very similar whether it be lines I'm cutting out of the movie or what not.

* * *

The room crackled with the sound of electricity, the air filled with the smell of charred flesh. Lying face down on the floor, I wondered what cruel twist of fate had brought me back to this life. For a moment, I don't want to move but then more memories begin to return. They are a blessing as much as a curse and suddenly I am filled with rage. Who has dared?

Pushing up with one arm, I raise my head and see a pair of black boots. I follow them up past a body garbed in gray robes and to an old aristocratic face, framed by spiky brown hair. The man gazes back down at me impassively.

"Wh..." I croak out, realizing that my throat is parched. Swallowing, I continue again, "Why?" My voice is as firm as I can make it.

"We had need of you?" The man standing over me says. "I will explain everything later." He bends down and thrusts some articles of clothing at me. "Get dressed and we will brief you."

It is only now that I realize that I am completely naked. With as much dignity as I am capable of, I take the clothes. The man turns around while I get dressed. My old instincts kick in as I begin observing my surroundings. I am standing in a small room with bits and pieces of machinery hanging from the ceiling. There is a small tube behind me, which I can only assume was used to create and hold this body I am now using. A further moment is used to look at my hands. The fingers are long and slender, almost feminine. For a moment I wonder if they've brought me back as a female but other evidence disabuses me of that notion fairly quickly. My body is now much leaner, not as muscular as it used to be.

"Finished?" The man ahead questions softly.

Sliding a sleeveless T-shirt over my head, I say, "Yes, let's get going."

The man leads me out of the room and into a hallway. I follow him as he leads me through several similar looking hallways with signs posted here and there leading to medical or towards other facilities. My senses have begun to kick in by then and using the signs we cross, I affirm that he is leading me towards the main command.

My legs begin to burn as we walk and I realize that I am still not fully functional. I have felt pain before though and my mind knows how to block it. That is one relief in this whole experience although as with most gifts it is double edged. For having a complete mind means that I also remember her. I quickly shy away from that line of thought. There is too much pain there.

"Inside," the man gestures and I realize we've come to a stop in front of an open door.

With a shrug, I step inside and the door slides shut mechanically, behind me. I am in a small office room now and right across from me stands an old wooden desk. Behind the desk stands a chair on which is seated a familiar figure.

"Welcome back," he says genially. "Take a seat, your legs are probably feeling pretty stressed right now." 

I walk over to one of the empty chairs beside the desk and sit down. "Why and how did you bring me back, Gennai?"

Pouring water from a pitcher in a small glass, he passes it to me. I gulp down the water as he starts talking.

"As to the how, we had a backup of all your memories. I figured they would come in useful someday." He reaches under his desk, opening a drawer and withdraws a mirror. "Your body is different, it was custom made to hold your memories and is capable of doing anything you require of it."

Picking up the mirror, I see a stranger staring back at me. Raising a hand, I run it through my overly large, spiky brown hair. "Why didn't you just snap a pair of goggles like Daisuke or Taichi's over my head."

Gennai looks at me, his lips twitching in amusement. "To be honest, the thought crossed my mind."

I lower my hand from my head and set the mirror down on the table. "Ok, now that that is out of the way, tell me why."

"Ryo Akiyama."

The name triggered its own flood of memories. With deliberate calm, I battle them down. "What about him?"

"He has gone rogue." Gennai hit a button under his table and the wall behind him flipped around, revealing a display screen that was showing an image of a familiar blue planet. "This is Earth number 4087. It is of the classic Earth variety. There are no demons, no digimon, just humans as inhabitants. The laws of physics are the same as they are for the classic Earth division. You are to go in and apprehend Akiyama."

"You brought me back just for this." I am suddenly very angry. "You have a whole army at your disposal, old man."

"Akiyama was the best, better perhaps then even you. You are the only one we really have who can theoretically match him."

I close my eyes, my anger fading to be replaced by a deep sense of weariness. It was supposed to be over. Looking up, I say, "I will do as you ask." There is no other choice really, at least at this moment.

Gennai smiles. "There is just one more thing I need to tell you." He reaches into a side drawer of his desk and pulls out a collection of syringes. "Your body is a loan. We built in mechanisms so you don't try to escape. These drugs," he motions towards the syringes, "will keep your body from breaking down at the cellular level. When the drug supply runs out, you are as good as dead. Furthermore, your body contains a self-destruct mechanism that we control. If you try to run, we can have you killed at any time. If you show any deviation from your mission, we will have you killed. If you are foolish enough to try and go back to your home dimension to visit your lovely ex-wife, we will have you killed. Your only choice is to comply with us."

My anger is great but there is nothing I can do. Masking my face, I nod in compliance.

Gennai smiles again and says, "Let's get your prepped for the mission then."

* * *

Five Hours Later

The portal snaps close behind me and I look at the small room I am standing in. It is bare except for a cot set in one corner and a desk with a computer sitting on it. Disregarding the computer for the moment, I walk over to the lone window in the room. It overlooks the street outside and I find that I am on the second floor of some building. Looking down at the street, I am hit with a sense of heartache. There are sights there that I have not seen for a long, long time. Car's whiz by and people traverse the sidewalks going about their normal business. All of it is overwhelming and the one thing that I want most at the moment is to go out there. The mission can wait for the moment.

Turning around, I exit the small apartment. It takes me only a few moments to locate the stairway to my immediate left and in a minute or so, I am standing outside the building. Checking the address and memorizing it, I start walking. There is no particular destination I have in mind, I just want to walk and take in the sights of this ancient suburbia.

A great while later, as night starts to fall, I stop at a Convenience Store. There is nothing that I need to justify the stop but I remember a similar location from a long time ago. Miyako Inoue once worked at a store much like this one. For the sense of nostalgia alone I find myself walking towards the store. A small bell goes off as I open the door and step inside. 

There is a man at the counter with a gun that immediately turns in my direction. Quickly, I take full account of the situation. There are three of them, one at the counter, one roaming a side aisle and one at the back of the store. They are amateurs, half scared out of their wits at committing something like this. 

"Hey you," the man at the counter yells at me, "what do you think you're doing?"

I shoot him a contemptuous look and calmly walk over to where they keep the snacks. Breaking open the seal of one, I bite into it.

Growling, the man strides forward brandishing his gun. I wait until he is close enough and then my foot lashes out. The speed of the move surprises even me. In my own body, I had been fast but now I am much faster.

The man recoils, holding his hand as I kick the gun out of it. I jump as it flies in the air and catch it. In the same motion, I turn in the air and shoot twice. The first shot hits the man in the aisle and the second takes the guy at the back of the store. They had both begun to go for their guns. As I land, the guy whose gun I had taken rushes me. I duck his first punch and drive an elbow into his short ribs. The breath whooshes out of his mouth and I follow up with a kick that sends him to dreamland.

It is then that I turn to the girl standing behind the counter.

"You might want to call the police," I say lightly. "The other two are injured but alive." Their moans are a testament to my words.

The girl though looks at me, her eyes wide. "W... who are you?"

Twirling the gun on one finger, I reply, "Just a humble civil servant, darlin'."

I am so bad ass.

* * *

Cue Credits:

Gummed up, brain dead and can't decide 

you can't pray enough, you can't hide 

You can be cool or you can cry 

Do it wrong 

Not it all 

Or do it right 

No one owes you, 

no one's to blame 

Save for bad genes or DNA 

Ask your conscience the why and how 

Do it then 

Do it when 

But, do it now 

What's up sweet cakes? 

Who's hip anyway? 

Earthgirls are easy 

What you gonna do lil' buckaroo? 

(Hey you, you better ask her nice!) 

All you gotta do, happy fool, is ask your mom 

No we all can't be Superfly GQPhdFBI 

You can pretend or you can try 

Move ahead 

Lay down dead 

Or slip on by 

When the truth seems so far away 

Buddha loves you and Jesus saves 

You need answers for your dismay 

Ask yourself 

Ask your mom 

Ask DNA 

What's up sweet cakes? 

Who's hip anyway? 

Earthgirls are easy 

What you gonna do lil' buckaroo? 

(Hey you, you better ask her nice!) 

All you gotta do, happy fool, is ask your mom 

Kamakamakama ask your mama 

Super groover Dahli Lama 

What's up sweet cakes? 

Who's hip anyway? 

Earthgirls are easy 

What you gonna do lil' buckaroo? 

Come on! 

What's up sweet cakes? 

Who's hip anyway? 

Earthgirls are easy 

What you gonna do lil' buckaroo? 

(Hey you, you better ask her nice!) 

All you gotta do, happy fool, is ask your mom

* * *

All right, if I get about ten reviews, I'll post the next part.


	2. Chapter One

Memories of Light: Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or Cowboy Bebop.

* * *

A/N: The identity of the narrator of this story is going to be a secret that the readers will have to uncover. However, from the clues so far, you should be able to tell that he's someone from the first two seasons of Digimon. Did I mention this was a crossover with 02/03? Anyway, the four girls and at least two of the guys are out of the question so that leaves you with a shortened list of who to suspect. Another reason I did this is because I wanted to experiment with the first person writing style. My other two Digimon stories are third person and I thought that it would be fun to do a story from a first person viewpoint. The fic will switch to third person when Ruki shows up but will remain first person when it switches back to the narrator.

* * *

After the convenience store debacle, I head back to the apartment. An encounter with the police is probably not the best idea at the moment. Because of this, I avoid the major pathways and stick to the back alleys, taking a circuitous route back to the apartment. Finally making it back to the apartment, I flick on the lights and toss the city map I took from the convenience store on my cot. It will come in useful later on when I need to navigate the city again.

Walking over to the computer, I sit down at the desk and move the mouse. The computer screen flicks on as the screensaver is disengaged. Three things about the desktop immediately catch my attention. Two of them are the document file and movie file icons on the desktop. The third thing is that the starter bar is completely removed from the system to prevent any type of hacking. My memories of this old technology are limited at best so I'm fairly sure that this type of measure is enough to keep me out.

Sighing, I click on the movie link. The desktop flickers and the screen turns black. A moment later, Gennai's face appears on screen. He starts speaking without preamble.

"The following footage was taken from a traffic camera. The scene takes place in Times Square in New York City." The screen changes from the old man's face to a large intersection at the midst of Times Square. A large white pickup truck enters the scene, its tires squealing as it comes to a direct halt, stopping traffic in all four directions. The door to the truck slowly opens and out steps a bearded man. I recognize him immediately as Akiyama. He closes the truck door and starts walking, oblivious to the wailing honks coming from all around him. 

And then, the truck behind him explodes.

The screen changes back to Gennai. "This took place two days ago. The truck carried a viral agent that spread to most of the people in that place. Calculating the wind trajectory at that time, we have determined that it has spread through most of New York by now. The moment you step outside, you will be infected. Thankfully, the virus comes in two doses. The first dose is dormant until the second is introduced. This whole scenario was our first indication that something had gone wrong. When our attempts to contact Akiyama were unsuccessful, we sent a team of agents after him." The screen changes to a room littered with dead bodies. "This was the result." Gennai's face reappeared on the screen. "The other file on the desktop talks about a company called Gen-U-Tech. They have a head office here in New York City. I suggest you start your investigation there." The computer screen flickers again and returns to the familiar desktop.

I click on the document file and another window pops up. The document is long, detailing the history of the company. It extends back nearly a century to three researchers who discovered a viral strain in the jungles of Africa. Making that the basis of their research, they formed the company Gen-U-Tech. Over time, their ancestors moved away from viral research into genetics. Currently, the company is one of the largest suppliers of pharmaceutical products in the world. Their headquarters are in downtown New York. An address is listed at the end of the document file. Memorizing it, I shut off the computer.

Getting up from the uncomfortable desk chair, I switch off the light and flop down on my cot.

The situation does not make any sense. Furthermore, just about every instinctual alarm I have is going off full blast. There is more to this then is readily apparent. Even the timeline doesn't make sense. The IDF (Inter-Dimension Force) must have known Ryo's exact whereabouts to send a team after him. It didn't make sense that they had gotten to him so quickly just a day ago but were now forcing me to conduct my own investigation to find him. There is something deeper going on here and every instinct in me says that I'll find more answers at Gen-U-Tech.

But that is something I will explore in the morning after a night of rest.

As I lay there on the bed, I raise a hand in the air above me. My penchant for philosophical thought seems to be kicking in as I begin to wonder just exactly what I am. As it is, all I was, I sacrificed for a greater purpose once upon a time. It was supposed to end then and all of what I was, supposed to be gone; leafs scattered in the wind. But, now I am back... or at least my memories are. However, what are memories if I don't have my soul? Is there less moral obligation in me now, being housed in a body that was most likely created in a test tube?

Damn, I'm a deep person.

Sighing, I lower my hand and close my eyes. All this can wait. I have a job and afterwards, I'll finally be allowed to rest. At least that is what the old man told me.

I still don't believe him.

* * *

**__**

Earth # 2127

"I should come with you Ruki."

"You know the laws of dimensional travel, Renamon." Ruki replied, keying in the coordinates on her digivice. "You won't be able to exist in a world which does not have the right elements to hold you. Humans are the constant while digimon are the variety. Besides, I know how to take care of myself."

Renamon sighed, knowing that it wasn't much use arguing with Ruki when she had made up her mind. "Are you sure he is in trouble?"

Ruki frowned, her brow furrowing. "He has never been so late before. Six months is tool long and," she hesitated, "I... I have a feeling..."

Nodding in understanding, Renamon laid a paw on her partner's shoulder. "Just be careful, ok."

"I will," Ruki replied, keying in the final coordinates.

A slit of white light opened up before her and saying her final farewell to Renamon, she stepped through it.

* * *

Well, that's it for this part. In the next part we get to the meat of things. And, I'm trying to preserve mystery so there is stuff that isn't going to make sense but it'll all get resolved at the end. 

Now, go ahead and review.


	3. Chapter Two

Memories of Light (Chapter Two)

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

* * *

A/N: Wow, lots of positive feedback on this fic. To address the only concern I received, yes, I plan on finishing this fic. I've got it all planned out in my head.

Anyway, this chapter mostly concerns Ruki. In the next one, she and the narrator will meet up.

* * *

In a small quiet alley located within the New York district known as Hell's Kitchen, a shaft of white light appeared. It broadened and expanded and Ruki stepped out of it. Surveying her surroundings, she walked towards the head of the alley. The sound of cars passing on the street beyond and the general chatter of people echoed strangely in the alley. Pausing at the head, she looked up at the sky. There was about five hours of daylight left.

Reaching into the pocket of her jacket, she withdrew her Digivice. The readings told her that she was in the right dimension and in the place where she had intended to open the portal. However, the screen did not show any signs that Ryo was in the city. Sighing, she pocketed the item. She had not really expected it to work anyway. It made her job harder though. Whatever mission Ryo was on had to be highly sensitive. She would have to be very careful in her prying or she could end up putting his life as well as her own in danger. She would have to be extremely careful.

Pulling her jacket tighter around herself, she began walking. As she was passing a news stall, a headline caught her eye. Stopping, she picked up the newspaper. The story talked about a truck exploding in the middle of Times Square. The picture showed smoking wreckage and there was talk from witnesses about a man exiting the truck just before it had exploded. The one detail that caught her eye was the fact that cameras in that area had suffered some type of technical malfunction and so there weren't any photos to document the incident. That sounded very much like the work of the IDCF. It was a long shot but she had precious little to go on at the moment.

"Hey lady, you gonna buy that or what?"

The gruff voice of the stall keeper pulled her out of her thoughts. Lowering the newspaper, she asked, "How much?"

"Fifty cents." The man replied.

Moments later, his eyes widened as she withdrew a roll of bills. Picking carefully between them, she took out a one-dollar bill and handed it to him while pocketing the rest. It was fortunate that she had studied up on New York City in the Twentieth Century before coming here. There was a look of greed in the stall keeper's eyes as he handed her three quarters in change. Smiling inwardly, Ruki moved on. Flaunting her apparent wealth in a rundown neighborhood like this was going to attract the attention of just the type of people she needed to talk to.

Sticking mostly to semi-deserted areas, Ruki made her way towards the waterfront. Fifteen minutes after leaving the news stall, she spotted three men shadowing her. They had taken the bait; now all she had to do was force a confrontation on her terms. A few moments later, she found the perfect spot. It was a tight deserted alley, halfway to the waterfront. Walking calmly into it, she jumped and grabbed a hold of both side walls with her hands and feet. Shimmying up, she stopped when she had reached a height of ten feet. Now, all she had to do was wait. It did not take very long.

Scarcely a second later, the three men following her rushed into the alley and stopped when they discovered that she wasn't there. She didn't give them a chance to recover from the feeling of surprise. Dropping down, she kicked one man in the head, sending him sprawling backwards into one of his friends. The remaining thug grunted a curse and charged her. He was a large, heavyset man and hard to avoid in the alley. She let him grab her and push her against the wall. He was unprepared when she rammed her knee into his groin. She pushed him away as he groaned in pain and started slumping against her. An uppercut to the chin sent him rocking back and the back of his head collided hard with the wall of the alley. He slumped down, out cold.

Not wasting a breath, Ruki turned to the other two thugs. One of them was rising but the other was slumped on the floor. The pool of blood by his head told its own story. Withdrawing a knife concealed in the sleeve of her jacket, she quickly stepped forward and pressed it under the man's chin.

"Get up very slowly," she said coldly, pressing the point of the knife just a little. He practically sprang in the air at the sensation.

She gave him a once over as he stood in front of her. Her kick hadn't damaged his jaw which was a relief. She needed him to be able to speak.

"Uh, lady," he said, swallowing nervously.

"Quiet," Ruki hissed, pressing the knife under his chin until a thin trickle of blood ran down the blade. "I need information about this place. Tell me where to go if I want information about the crime that occurs in this city."

The guy swallowed nervously again. "There's a bar near the waterfront. The guy there has contacts."

"What about the man at the news stall?"

"You mean Leo. Naw, he knows nothing'. All he does is contact me for jobs."

Ruki nodded. "Give me the address of the bar."

He complied, giving her exact directions to the place as well as the name of the person she wanted to talk to. Afterward, she slipped the knife back up her sleeve, holding his eyes with her own. He was a few inches taller then her but she wanted him to completely understand who was in control of the situation. As he was turning around to leave, she elbowed him in the back of the head, knocking him out cold. Stepping over the last body, she continued on her way.

* * *

There were times when he dreamed.

They were dreams of happier times: flying through the air although he did not know how that was possible, a woman with a fiery heart and haunting eyes that always seemed to gaze into his soul. Did he even have a soul anymore?

They had tortured him in their own primitive way. But he had held out and had not given them any information. But then, they had begun their experiments and now... everything... was changed. He had been infected by the virus and then given the antidote.

He could hear them now, his resolve weakened and his memories gradually slipping away. Humanity did not want peace and harmony. They would always contend and always war with each other. He could bring an ending to it all. The virus they had so carelessly thought to use against him would be what he used to bring true, lasting peace to all the worlds out there.

But, there was the girl. Her image haunted him still although he had forgotten about everybody else. There had to be a reason why she caused such disquiet within him.

Gazing out of the window of the apartment building, Ryo Akiyama smiled as a familiar car pulled up to the curb outside.

* * *

The bar was dirty and smelly and filled with sailors. She had already had to persuade some of the more stubborn ones that she did not want to be disturbed. Thankfully, since fights were such a common occurrence in the establishment, she had not drawn much attention. Well, no more then usual. What she had done to the last man was likely to discourage any more boisterous attempts in her direction.

And all that had happened in the first five minutes.

Right now, she was sitting at a table in one corner of the dark, smoky room. She had bought a drink but had no intentions of drinking it. Appearing to take a sip, she surveyed the room once again. The barkeep had disappeared shortly after giving her the drink. Which meant one of two things: either the enquiry she had discreetly made had scared him or he was watching her right now, trying to ascertain his position. She would bet on the latter option. From what she had seen of the man, he did not appear to be the type that ran away. At the very least, he would be curious and that was the hook she was hoping would bait him.

For the moment though, all she could do was sit and wait.

Nearly two hours later, the man finally made an appearance.

Taking a seat calmly at her table, he said, "You are persistent. Not many would have waited this long without trying to escalate the matter."

She regarded him calmly. "I am not easily discouraged."

"A fine trait in a woman," he said with a smile. "I admit to being a little intrigued at all this. What is it that you want?"

"Information."

"What type of information?"

Ruki took a small sip from her drink. "How about you begin talking and I'll let you know when I've heard enough."

The man blinked uncertainly. "You want everything I know? That is not a request I can grant, Miss."

"You will have to," Ruki said softly, adding a hint of menace in her voice. "Or, you won't be leaving this table alive."

He smirked at her. "Threatening me in my own bar is a mistake. I can have my men here in seconds."

"Feel free to call them any time you want. Just remember you'll be sealing your own fate when you do. Because when I'm through with them, I'm going to come for you." She flicked her wrist and the knife twirled into her hand. "I'll get the information I want either way. You can either choose to give it to me freely or I can torture you until you tell me. If I have to do the latter, it will only end in your death." She twirled the knife again and it disappeared up her sleeve.

Three hours later, she left with a single name: Gen-U-Tech.

* * *

Ryo opened the door to his apartment and ushered in a small, nervous looking man carrying a suitcase. In the days when his memories had been a little more complete, he had enlisted the help of the man. He was a contact of his from the old days and had done everything asked of him. Including the manufacture of the virus in large supplies.

"It's done, man," he burst out nervously, stepping into the apartment. "I want my money now and want to disappear."

Ryo took the suitcase from him and opened it on the table. There were a half dozen vials inside. Taking one out he put it on the table.

"Wha... what're you doing man?" His contact stammered nervously.

"Tell me," he said slowly, "have you said your prayers yet?" Picking up the small cylindrical vial, he twirled it around in his fingers.

"Be careful with that." The man snapped nervously. "What has gotten into you?"

"Life is a fragile thing. A dream you cannot wake from, an endless nightmare. I will grant you that release." He set down the vial on the table and withdrew a gun. Pointing it at the vial, he said, "Make your peace with whatever god you worship."

The man's eyes widened and he began to rush forward.

Ryo pulled the trigger.

* * *

Ok, go ahead and review.


	4. Chapter Three

**Memories of Light (Chapter Three)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon**

* * *

**A/N: **Ok, a few things off the bat. As I hope it is clear to everybody now, this is hardly your normal Digimon fic. Now, as is the case when creating a world like this, you have to have a back history. You'll get a sense of it in this story. That history will be revealed sometime in the next two chapters. All I can say now is that all the events in 01/02/03 happened but afterwards a whole lot changed. For reference, Ruki is 29 years old in this fic. Ryo is 32 and the narrator is... well he's quite old. You'll see in the next two chapters.

BTW, Ruki will meet Ryo in the next chapter and uh, I'll eventually tell you who the narrator is. Oh and I had this chapter ready about a week ago but well, life came a knockin' and I had to answer.

* * *

Spread-eagled, and covered by high blades of grass, Ruki admitted to herself that this wasn't going to be as easy as she had thought. Not that she had thought it would be particularly easy in the first place. But, staring at the gigantic compound in front of her, she knew that whatever answers she sought, lay inside. Of course several hundred feet of barb wired fence separated her from those answers and there were regular checkpoints set up at intervals and patrolled by guards. Getting past all that was going to take some doing and she might well be caught anyway.

Sighing, Ruki lowered her binoculars and checked the watch on her Digivice. It was nearing one a.m. and yet the security had not slackened one bit. It seemed like she would have to wait until morning and then see whether she could sneak in using some other method.

She was about to get to her knees when something pressed into the small of her back. "Don't move," a voice whispered from behind her. Ruki froze, raising her hands slowly. "Now get up," the man behind her whispered again, "but slowly."

Getting to her knees, Ruki complied with the request. The man stepped around in front of her. "It's been a long time, Ruki."

"Victor?" Ruki said incredulously, lowering her arms.

Bowing, Victor lowered the stick in his hand. "I was contacted by a bar owner that works for me. He recognized and sent you here. I've been wandering around here all night, hoping to run into you."

"Where is Ryo?" Ruki asked immediately. "I need to talk to him."

"There may be a problem with that." Victor looked at her, hesitating briefly. "Come with me to the compound. I'll explain everything when we're inside."

And that was how she found herself sitting in a chair in his office, sipping a cup of coffee. He sat in his desk, across from her, a seemingly troubled expression on his face. She knew she was not going to like what he had to say.

"There was a problem with Ryo. It began about eight months ago when we first arrived in this dimension. For a while, it seemed as if everything was fine but he grew... distant. That's the only word I have for the look in his eyes. It was almost as if he was fighting something within himself. It got worse and worse until two months later he suddenly made off with an entire vial of a virus we had confiscated from the Order of the Dark Path. He has been missing ever since. We sent some of our troops after him but he killed all of them and escaped."

Ruki frowned, "What were you two doing here with a virus?"

"This base is one of several we have in other disconnected dimensions. It allows us anonymity and we can dispose of materials acquired, fairly easily and without too many questions. There is none of the legal or political maneuvering involved in dimensions that are part of the Multiverse."

"Except that you may be exposing innocent people to risk." Ruki replied with a sigh. "But I don't care what you do as long as it doesn't affect anything related to me. Do you have any leads on Ryo?"

"Not as of yet. You could be some help here. Our policy is not to have civilians interfere but you know Ryo better then anybody else. You would be a great asset."

Ruki closed her eyes, thinking over the proposition. Something about the whole situation didn't seem right to her but she couldn't turn down the offer either. At least this way she would have far more resources at her disposal then if she tried to go at it alone.

Opening her eyes, she said, "Ok, I will work with you but we will do this my way. When I find Ryo, you will keep your forces as far away as possible. I may be able to get to the bottom of this without interference."

Victor nodded, rising from his seat. "All right, I will have an ID set up for you so you can get around this compound. You are welcome to stay here. We will assign you private quarters since you probably don't have a place picked out."

Bowing her head, Ruki followed him out of the room.

* * *

It is the middle of the night when I wake up, my right arm throbbing with pain. Groaning, I roll out of bed and stumble to my feet. The moonlight, shining through the window adjacent to my bed creates a faint silver light that provides me with a hint of illumination. I stagger over to the computer table and pick up the small pack of syringes given to me by Gennai.

Now comes the hard part as I glance down at my arm. The skin is literally decomposing before my eyes and droplets of blood are beginning to come to the surface. There is a dull throbbing that is more annoying then painful but I can see that this is just the beginning. The infection is spreading through my arm at a steady rate. Taking one of the syringes, I plunge it into my arm. A feeling of drowsiness comes over me and I slump forward onto the desk.

As my eyes begin to drift shut, I can't help but find the humor in this situation. I was once a god in my world and now I am reduced to a lackey for Gennai, my life dependant on drugs. Things have really come full circle for me.

I am well versed in the ways of power though. My kingdom may well be ash by now but I am still alive and I will return every single injustice exacted on me tenfold. It is the way of the king; a typhoon devoid of emotions and morality that lets nothing stand in his way. The thought brings a small smile to my face and then everything fades away.

* * *

**_Early-afternoon of Day Two_**

****

After spending a restless night in a small room assigned to her, Ruki found herself back in Victor's office. He had summoned her at midday after working through the night setting up high level clearance for her so that she could get freely around the compound.

"Take these," Victor said, handing her a small microphone and a small semi-automatic. "The mic is connected to main security. It'll be handy in case you need directions on how to get from Point A to Point B. The gun is a necessity that can't be helped. Nobody is allowed outside the compound with force lances."

Ruki took the two items, affixing the mic to the underside of her jacket collar and holstering the gun in her jeans. "Thank you," she said, bowing. "I don't want to waste any time and would like to begin my investigation immediately."

Victor nodded in understanding. "You can contact security through the mic and have them send someone to escort you to Ryo's quarters here. Give it a try."

"Uh, hello." Ruki said, grabbing a hold of her collar and activating the mic.

"Hello Ms. Makino," a chipper female voice from the other end replied, "I've been expecting a communiqué from you. Whatever you need, we will provide."

"Thank you, I need someone to escort me to Ryo Akiyama's quarters. I am inside Director Sunderland's office at the moment."

"All right, I am sending two guards to escort you."

"Have them meet me in the lobby of the main building," Ruki said quickly. "It will be quicker that way."

"As you wish," the voice from the other end replied.

Terminating the connection, Ruki looked up at Victor. "Again, thank you for your help. By the way, does your head office know that I am involved in this now?"

Victor shook his head. "It is policy that we not involve civilians and despite your militaristic record, you are still a civilian. Your presence here is strictly between the staff here and us. We have enough resources so that we can get away with any deception and not get the head office involved."

"You're using me to cover your tracks."

Victor smiled. "Failure is not something I am accustomed to and a disaster of this magnitude is a colossal failure. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement, wouldn't you agree?"

"Be that as it may, you are not to interfere when I find him. I want to get to the bottom of this and the last thing we need is your forces coming in and screwing this up."

"As you wish. I will stay in the background until you've captured Ryo."

Ruki bowed, leaving the room. She did not completely trust Victor and a number of things he had said rang false with her. On the other hand, he could be trying to save face with the head office. After all, this was Ryo and nobody had ever been as good as him. She had her work cut out for her.

A low whistling tune suddenly cut through her thoughts as she was walking down a hallway. A man dressed in a blue janitorial jumpsuit was standing in the middle of the hallway, cleaning the walls. Ruki walked past him trying to place the tune he was whistling. It sounded a bit familiar to her.

And then she suddenly placed the tune.

Whirling around, she pulled the revolver at her hip and pressed it against the side of the man's head.

* * *

It was around ten o' clock in the morning when he had woken. A quick check revealed that his arm was fully functional once again. After a quick shower, he left for Gen-U-Tech's main lab. One thing became immediately clear when he arrived at the outskirts of the compound; sneaking in was out of the question. There was just too much security. He was making a sweep of the north perimeter when he saw a garbage truck come to a halt in front of the main entrance to the compound.

Sneaking up to the truck while one of the guards was questioning the driver, he slid under it and hung from its underside. Minutes later, he was inside the compound. After the driver had gotten out and left, he slid out from under the truck. A quick search of it revealed a spare uniform inside a dry cleaner cover. Sliding the plastic off, he put on the uniform quickly.

Nearly two hours later, he ran into Ruki Makino.

* * *

"Don't move," she hissed pointing the gun at my head.

I freeze, raising my hands and dropping the broom in my hand to the floor. What had given me away? Then it suddenly strikes me, the tune I had been whistling. It was something she had to recognize; I had picked it up in her dimension after all. Well, it couldn't be helped now. The first thing I had to do was put her off her game a little. Hopefully, I would be able to get out of here without too much trouble.

"Haven't we met somewhere before. I never forget such a pretty face. And the outfit isn't all that bad either. Black jeans, blue jacket, that's a nice look on you."

"The jumpsuit does nothing for you." She replies primly.

I chuckle softly. "Heh, I guess not." Moving forward suddenly, I step on the edge of the broom. It swings up and strikes her gun hand. I duck down as the gun discharges and aim a blow at her hand. The gun goes flying from her grip and I use the broom to send it skittering across the floor.

She gives me no room to breathe. I duck as she swings her leg in a roundhouse kick. Moving backwards, I barely avoid a short punching combination. The woman's improved since the last time I met her.

In my flight backwards, I retain the broom and start using it to mount my own offence. I flick it forward and she glides backwards avoiding the handle. A couple more flicks and I have her backed against the wall. She manages to catch the final blow of my combination on her forearm and shoulder. It is a perfect block and nulls most of the force behind my swing.

"Who are you?" She questions darkly.

"How about we flip for it, heads, I tell you, tails, we go out on a date."

She purses her lips in annoyance. "The more you know, the shorter your life will be."

I chuckle again. "I love the kind of girl that can kick my ass."

She darts forward as soon as the words are out of my mouth. I fall back again as she unleashes a flurry of kicks and punches. She manages to move in close to me and grabs my collar, bringing her knee up towards my stomach. I block the knee and use the broom to knock away her hands from my collar.

I flick the broom towards her again and she ducks, grabbing the handle. A quick strike upwards breaks it into two pieces. I back off, brandishing only the handle now.

And then something else catches my attention. At the far end of the hallway, two guards round the corner and come running towards us. They probably heard the gunshot and are responding to it. Ruki's eyes flick backwards but she keeps her eyes on me. The second long opening is all I need though. Using the handle of the broom, I thrust forward, making her back up again. As she is readying her counterattack, I throw the broom at her and take off in the opposite direction.

One thing immediately becomes clear as I am running away; I should have really planned an escape route in case something like this happened. As it is, I am not going to get out of this without putting a heavy toll on this body.

With the hallway, I am running down rapidly dwindling and energy discharges scarring the walls and floor around me, I take the only option left. There is a window on my right and I leap out of it.

* * *

**All right, review please.**


	5. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything. Not even the shirt on my back.

* * *

**A/N**: I wish I could make some sort of excuse about why this took so long but sadly, I can't. The plain truth is that I started working full time and then bought a whole bunch of anime that I still haven't finished watching yet. In any case, here's the next chapter of Memories of Light. Some of the scenes are rushed but it is entirely on purpose. I'm trying to pull off the kind of storytelling I saw in RahXephon where each bit of dialogue provides a little bit of hint into what's coming up next. Anyway, there are about two chapters and an epilogue left to this fic.

Oh btw, on the off chance you wandered in here wondering about the Final Battle, don't worry about the fic. I'll post the next few chapters when I am done with the whole thing. Meaning, you'll get about four or five chapters at once.

All right, on to the show….

* * *

I would just like to say one thing; jumping out of a window is a bad idea. However, jumping out of window when that window is located on a very high floor is the king of all bad ideas. However, being given little choice that's what I had done. On my way down, I had a brief moment to kick myself for my stupidity before my survival instincts took over.

Twisting my body in the air, I reached out one hand and grabbed a ledge. My shoulder wrenched but amazingly held as I came to an abrupt stop. Bracing my legs against the wall kept my body from slamming against the side of the building. A look down revealed that I was only about ten feet or so from the ground. A look up showed a scowling Ruki Makino glaring down at me.

And that's when the alarm went off.

Letting go of the ledge, I dropped down the rest of the way and landed on the floor. The pain in my shoulder was already beginning to fade. It must have been a residual effect of the drug I had taken earlier today. Turning around, I started running towards the main gate. They had shut the gate in response to the alarm but the maintenance truck I had hitched a ride on was parked beside the gate. Apparently it had been in the process of leaving right when they had shut the gate.

There are shouts behind me followed by energy blasts. I dodge back and forth and make it to the truck unharmed. However, as I am jumping up, a blast catches me in the side. Grimacing, I roll up over onto the trucks roof and start running towards the gate. One short jump later, I'm outside the gates.

I nearly lose my balance as I land but ignoring the pain in my side, I start sprinting towards the high grass. There will be pursuit and I need to find some place to hide.

* * *

"Are you afraid?"

A low chuckle sounded from the computer monitor. "Events will proceed as I have dictated. I am too old to be so easily cowed."

"And yet, there is a certain hesitancy in you. It is amusing. Does he make you that apprehensive?"

"If it were only him, it would not be such a problem. But there is Ryo and now Ruki Makino as well."

"Using two lovers against each other. Old age has made you cold."

There was silence for a moment. "Just make sure everything goes according to plan." The connection terminated as soon as the sentence was finished.

"Fancy that," Victor drawled. "I seem to have struck a nerve."

* * *

Throwing open the door, I stumble into my small apartment. It slams shut behind me as I stagger to the lone computer desk. Grabbing the roll of syringes, I take one out and plunge it into my chest. The feeling of drowsiness hits immediately and I slump onto the floor. As my eyes drift shut, my mind wanders back to the past day.

I managed to give my pursuers the slip as night fell but I have not learned anything about my mission. The only curious thing was that I stumbled onto a base full of IDCF agents. The obvious conclusion, given my history with Gennai, is that there must be a traitor somewhere in that base.

It is my last thought as darkness consumes me.

* * *

_'You have been feeling uneasy.'_

"There is a presence out there. Such a mix of emotions. It intrigues me."

_'And you want to see this person.'_

"I do."

_'The unbelievers are hunting you.'_

"I see."

'What will you do?' 

Ryo smiled, gazing around at the dark empty room. "Give them what they want, of course."

* * *

_1 Day Later_

Ruki looked down at the small portable receiver. "You are sure its him."

"Yes," Victor replied. "Our agents are certain of it. For some reason he's come out of hiding."

"Send me the coordinates." Ruki said impatiently. "And tell your men to back off. Let me confront him first."

"As you wish."

* * *

"It is such a pretty day, isn't it?" The woman gazed down at the man whose head was lying on her lap. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep. Grinning, she reached down and pinched his nose shut. He jolted awake with a snort moments later. The woman giggled as he turned to glare indignantly at her. After a moment, he sighed and settled back against her again.

"Isn't it enough that you kept me awake all night," he grumbled sourly. "You said you would let me sleep today."

"But it's such a beautiful day," she protested. "I would never forgive myself if I let you sleep through it."

"Oh, ha ha." The man rolled his eyes. "Just admit that you can't sit idle for one minute without putting me through something."

"The is not true at all. I will have you know it has been exactly ten minutes since we sat down under this tree."

"I'm impressed. That's probably a new record."

The woman laughed, leaning down and brushing her lips across his. "So, come on," she said, straightening, "let's talk."

"What do you want to talk about?"

The woman shrugged. "Tell me about yourself. What did you do those six years you weren't with us?"

A single cherry blossom floated down from the branches above.

"I... that's not something I want to talk about." The man said uneasily.

"Why not? I would love to know what it feels like to kill your parents."

His eyes widened. Another cherry blossom floated down.

"I mean you didn't actually pull the trigger but you were responsible. You worked so hard to get your revenge, leaving so many people dead but really, you were at fault all along. I wonder how many people would still be alive and happy if you had never been born."

A slow wind picked up, causing a steady rainfall of cherry blossoms around them.

"Wha... I.." He tried to sit up but she curled her fists in his hair and pulled back hard. Grunting, he stared up in confusion at a pair of crimson brown eyes, which had been twinkling with laughter just moments earlier. Those same eyes were staring at him with unmasked hatred now. There was a grim expression on her face.

"What did it feel like to murder our son?"

He closed his eyes at that. He could not block his hearing though.

"I told you once that you would burn for me," she whispered, her lips inches away from his ears, "and now, you will."

His clothes burst into flames, his mouth opening in a soundless scream. And through it all, the cherry blossoms continued to fall.

With a start, my eyes snap open. My heart is beating like a drum inside my chest. Taking a deep breath, I struggle to my knees. The computer beeps suddenly and the monitor flickers on. Raising my head, I turn towards it.

"You don't look so hot."

"Bad dreams," I mutter softly. Quickly regaining my composure as best I can, I turn towards the computer. "What do you want, Gennai?"

"Just checking on your mission status. Where do you stand so far?"

"On uneven ground."

"What was that?"

I sigh quietly. "Nothing. I investigated the company as per the file on the computer. Only, I encountered a base full of your agents there. The discharges from the force lance's were a dead giveaway."

"And your conclusion?"

"Ryo is not the only reason you sent me here. You just sent me in to stir up a hornets nest."

There is a soft chuckle from the computer speakers. "I have not heard that saying in quite a long time. Yes, I did send you in because there is a traitor in that base and I wanted to see if you could get him to come out of hiding."

"So, what's next on the agenda?" I question, not making any effort to mask my sarcasm.

"Ryo has come out of hiding."

That statement gets my attention immediately.

"From our current reports, he is headed towards the New York Harbor District via the subway. The train he is on should be passing your nearest location in about thirty minutes. I suggest you find the nearest subway outlet right now."

"And what should I do when I engage him?"

"I'll leave that up to your judgment." The computer screen went blank.

Sighing again, I stare down at my hands. One thing I know immediately is that there won't be a happy ending to this. There rarely is with people like us. Not in real life and not in dreams.

* * *

The end, for now.


	6. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

* * *

**A/N:** We have now reached the halfway point in this tale.  It will be ending in just a few more installments.  Also, many of the mysteries will be revealed inside the next chapter which should be done fairly quickly since the majority of it deals with the history of this world.

* * *

Thoughts; emotions; and pervading both, so many regrets. Enough regrets to drown one's soul. Carving out a meaning for one's existence was all that could be hoped for. It was not an ideal existence. It could never be an ideal existence. But soon, all of it would end and things could begin anew. He would ensure that things did not take such a hopeless turn this time around.

"Nice day, is it not?" A strange voice drawled, cutting through the maelstrom of sound that surrounded him.

Ryo's eyes snapped open. The man sitting next to him smiled and raised a hand in greeting. Frowning, Ryo concentrated but all his senses were met with nothing. He could sense just about every living person on the planet if he chose to but it was as if the man sitting next to him did not exist.

"I knew a person once," the man began in a conversational tone. "He was a brave and gallant man. But, he did not know how to live for himself. He had been a pawn since the day he was born and I warned him that it would lead to a bad end. I know a little of such things, you see, because I was very much like that man."

"Brave and gallant?" Ryo questioned sardonically.

The man laughed openly, causing other passengers inside the train to stare at them. "That was actually very good. I haven't had someone throw my own words back at me in quite some time."

Ryo bowed his head. "Your entrance was very dramatic. Since my powers don't work on you, I suppose we will have to do this the old fashioned way." He began to reach inside his jacket.

"Hey now," the man raised both hands in the air, "I did not come here to fight you. Well, at least not yet." He grinned suddenly. "Surely, there's a bit of time before Ruki shows up."

Eyes narrowing, Ryo withdrew his hand from inside his jacket pocket. "The old fool sent you."

"Who else would?" The man quipped. "However, I meant what I said. I did not come here to start a fight with you."

"Then why exactly are you here?"

"I wanted to know whether you've begun hearing the voice yet?"

Ryo blinked, tilting his head sideways. "How would you know about that?"

The man sighed, leaning back in the small chair. "I see. You don't remember me at all. So, have you started hearing the voice yet?"

"If you know that then you know that the time for all things to end is coming."

"I will not let that happen."

"I expected as much." Ryo slowly rose to his feet. "You know that the only way to stop me before I reach the Providence of God is with a bullet."

"I told you I did not come here to fight," the man said quietly.

"We rarely get what we want. Was that not part of the message you were trying to impart to me just now?"

The man chuckles softly. "The loss of memory has not dulled your wits, I see. You do us Chosen credit. If only the others were still around."

"The... Chosen." Ryo's eyes seemed to lose focus for a second.

The man quickly stepped forward grabbing Ryo's shoulder. "Yes, the Chosen. Focus Ryo, fight it back."

Ryo's eyes came back into focus and he slapped the hand away from his shoulder. "Stay back," he snarled pulling out a revolver from his jacket.

There were screams from the other passengers on the train and a general scramble to get away from the two men. Ryo ignored the others, focused completely on the man standing across from him.

"Who are you..." Ryo questioned softly. "Who are you that you look at me with sadness in your eyes?"

The man slowly shook his head. "Even if I told you, I doubt you would remember me." There was a blur of movement and suddenly Ryo found himself looking down the barrel of a handgun. "I am not the man I used to be and I don't even have half his power but if a bullet will settle this then I won't hold back."

The two men stood still, guns pointed at each other. It was an effective stalemate or at least until the first man blinked. The world shrunk down to just the two of them, their eyes focused on each other.

The train suddenly jolted and both men dove backwards firing their weapons. The first three bullets from both guns collided in mid-air and fell to the ground in small, smoldering bits. Both men rolled to their feet and took cover behind some seats while shooting at each other.

Ryo could hear screams from the passengers huddled at one end of the train's compartment. A shot rang out, nicking the corner of the seat he was huddled behind. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and came face to face with the man once again, their guns pointed at each other.

Both men's attention was suddenly diverted by the sound of the compartment door at the far end of the train opening. A woman rushed into their car only to be sent flying backwards as Ryo coldly aimed his gun in her direction and squeezed the trigger.

* * *

Ruki Makino felt the bullet strike her in the shoulder, sending her crashing to the floor. Disbelief filled her for a moment before her survival instincts took hold. Rolling backwards quickly, she came to a crouch just in time to see the man she had seen yesterday rush towards Ryo. He moved inhumanly fast, his left leg arcing up in a kick that sent Ryo's gun flying. A blinding combination of punches soon followed that sent Ryo crashing to the floor. The man bent over his body and lifted him up by the collars. Drawing her revolver, Ruki was about to tell him to back off when she saw him stumble.

* * *

"Is that all you got?" I hear Ryo say softly, his eyes closed. A second later his fingers jab into my chest. He gives a sharp twist and I feel several of my ribs break.

Rising to his feet, Ryo knocks the gun out of my hand. He shoves me against one of the side windows of the subway car with so much force that it shatters behind me. Before I can recover, he is pushing me through the window until the top half of my body is suspended out of the car. A twist of my head brings the sight of a river rushing below us. A part of me wonders how that can be since we are supposed to be underground. I turn back just as Ryo's face comes into sight.

"Before you die, I would like to know your name."

I notice that he is holding my gun in his right hand now. My chest feels as though it is on fire. I stare up at him but look past his eyes to see the being hiding behind them. My lips twist in a grin.

"I killed you once, I will do it again."

His face twists for a second, his finger tightening on the trigger.

"Ryo." The shout distracts us both.

Ruki has gotten up and has her gun trained on Ryo. With a small smile, Ryo turns towards her, his gun still pointed at me. He squeezes the trigger and lets go of my collar. The bullet punches into my chest sending out a spray of blood that tints my vision red. The impact throws me backwards and I close my eyes, letting darkness claim me.

* * *

"Ryo," Ruki whispered quietly as he stepped back into the subway car. There was a feeling of disquiet within her as she gazed at him. Why had he shot at her? Staring into his eyes now was like looking into the eyes of a complete stranger. It was unsettling to say the least. Her eyes widened as he slowly reached into his jacket and pulled out a grenade. "Don't make me do this, Ryo," she said quietly, preparing herself to shoot him.

Holding the grenade aloft in one hand, he grinned at her. A flick of the wrist sent the grenade flying and he dove backwards. Ruki did the same, just as the grenade exploded. The blast sent her flying backwards and she could feel the train grind to a halt. The air was filled with thick, black smoke. Coughing, she struggled to her knees, an arm clutched to her already injured shoulder and then he was there, standing in front of her. Leaning down, he cupped her face in his hands.

"You should not have come here."

His voice was quiet, his eyes closed. It almost seemed as if he was struggling with something. Before she could speak, he kissed her hard. She gasped softly as he pushed her head back, forcing his tongue into her mouth. There was a bitter metallic taste in the kiss and she realized that he was bleeding. She tried to struggle but the bullet wound as well as the shock from the grenade blast and the thick smoke was all combining to make her woozy.

In the end, she fainted in his arms from lack of oxygen.

She woke up alone, slumped against one corner of the subway car. Judging by her surroundings, it had only been a few minutes since she had lost consciousness. Her shoulder was throbbing but she ignored it for the moment. Struggling to her feet, she stumbled towards the nearest door and pushed it apart. Her eyes widened as she spied all of the train's other inhabitants slumped in their seats and on the floor, unconscious. There were splotches of blood near several of the bodies.

_'...__until two months later he suddenly made off with an entire vial of a virus we had confiscated from the Order of the Dark Path.'_

Victor's words suddenly flashed into her head. With a small gasp, she covered her mouth but then lowered it as common sense took over. If she had been infected, she would likely be as unconscious as these people. So, why wasn't she?

Putting the question out of her mind for the moment, she started towards the exit. The local authorities would be here before long and she needed to get back to the compound.

* * *

_**One Day Later** _

* * *

"So, how is he?" Gennai ran his hand over the glass surface of the large tube that held the body of a man inside. Various tubes were connected directly to the man's body.

A scientist stepped up behind him. "He has been unconscious since we recovered him from the river late yesterday. Still, all signs point to a full recovery."

"And what about the test data?"

"It met and in some cases exceeded our expectations. We have finally created an Analogue capable of standing up against a Star Born. However, we will still need one final test to make sure everything holds up."

"I see." Gennai lowered his head thoughtfully. "Have you learned why the previous model failed?"

The scientist nodded. "I believe so. It has to do with memories. When we created the first model, we made the mistake of suppressing the memories that come with the original neural net. However, our process in doing so was flawed and certain images began to leak into the Analogue's subconscious. It was these images and his drive to know what they meant that caused the Analogue to turn against us. This model had no suppressed memories and so, he has performed just as we have wished. It seems curiosity was a very troublesome trait in the original."

"Don't I know it," Gennai said softly to himself. "However, if we are going to begin mass production of these Analogue's, we have to do something about the memory problem. Currently, the neural net we found on Earth Prime is the only way to bestow any type of intelligence on these creatures. We need other options."

"Director Cairn is not going to like that. He believes the experiment to be as close to success as we are likely to achieve."

Gennai frowned, turning away from the glass tube. "Victor still works for me despite everything. Before this whole situation comes to a close, you will have to find a middle ground."

"What do you want done with him?"

"Like you said, we need him for one more test. When he has recovered, sedate him and have him taken to one of the cells downstairs. We will keep him caged until we need him again."

* * *

Feed the Author, leave a review. 


	7. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon.

**A/N:** This chapter is a bit longer thenthe others in this ficand it has sporadic bursts of this world's history here and there. You're still gonna have questions and possibly even more of them by the end of this chapter. On the plus side, I reveal a fair number of things so have fun putting it all together. As for me, I'm going to sleep.

* * *

In the underground parking lot, Renamon stood over the boy's body, looking down with a glazed look in her eyes. It was her attack that had killed him after all. The boy's Digimon was laying a little way away from the boy's body. He had felt the force of Renamon's attack as well and was slowly being deleted.

Above all though, there was blood. Enough blood to stain the ground crimson. And in that moment, she felt a little part of herself die.

* * *

Groaning, Ruki opened her eyes. Raising her hand up towards the ceiling, she stared at its back for a little bit, the lingering traces of the dream playing through her mind. She had not thought about that boy in such a long time. It had all happened when she was eleven. A pretty young age to become a murderer but that was what had happened. She had ordered Renamon to destroy the boy's Digimon but the boy had rushed out in front of the attack.

Shaking her head, Ruki banished the dream from her mind. There was no point in reliving past horrors. She had other concerns to deal with right now. Her thoughts traveled back to the events of two days ago. The one thing that stood out in her mind was that he had shot at her. The bullet had only grazed her shoulder though and she did not know what to make of that. It had gotten even more bizarre afterwards. She had the feeling that Victor definitely knew more then he was letting on.

_And why was there no pain in her shoulder?_

That thought made her sit up in bed. Slowly, she reached over and undid the bandages wrapped around her right shoulder. The wound had literally disappeared. What had Ryo done to her? Another thought suddenly occurred to her and she rolled out of bed quickly.

After the incident yesterday, they had only bandaged her up. Yet, she had not been infected with the virus. Whatever Ryo had done to her in that short little while had blocked the effects of the virus. So, why had they not done more tests on her and come up with an antidote?

These thoughts rushing through her head, she threw on her clothes and took of for Victor's office.

* * *

I awaken to soft white light shining in my face. There is a certain grim humor to the moment. Squinting, I rise to my feet and run a hand over my chest. All of the wounds inflicted upon me are gone. So then, time to take stock of the situation.

One thing is readily apparent; I am inside a holding cell. Walking forward, I examine the bars for any signs of weakness and find none. The lock for the cell door appears to be mechanized and impossible to open from this position. There really is nothing I can do but sit and wait. Having come to this conclusion, I turn around and lie back down on the small pallet set up for me inside the cell.

Closing my eyes, I think back to when this all started. It had been on my seven hundredth year when my life had finally ended. But what had happened after that? Had I found her or not? She had said that she would wait for me. What had happened? Was the real me still out there somewhere? More importantly, was she still out there waiting for me?

Yawning, I break that line of thought. There are too many questions that I have no hope of answering. They had to be using the neural net I had finalized right before my death. As such, it contained no memories of what had happened after. Chuckling softly, I shake my head, if such memories actually exist. Even with all I know, I cannot be sure that there is life after death.

The sound of a door opening in the distance causes me to open my eyes. Who could this be? From the footsteps, I can tell there are four people escorting a fifth between them. Perhaps they are bringing another prisoner in. I don't have to wait long for answers as the first guard comes into view several moments later. Seeing the prisoner, I grin; raise my hand and say, "Yo."

Ruki Makino's eyes widen slightly in surprise before her lips purse in annoyance. And then she has moved past my cell. I can hear them open the cell door beside mine and usher her inside. Locking the door, they take their leave.

There is silence broken only by the pacing of the woman in the other cell. She is probably trying to find some way out. After a long while, her pacing gradually tapers off. She has probably come to the same conclusion I have.

Looking up at the ceiling, I say, "Do you remember what I said when we first met?" There is no answer so I continue. "I said tails, we go out on a date. I guess this is a pretty sad place for a date."

Still there is silence. Undaunted, I keep on talking.

"Why are you down here anyway? Not that I am complaining but I thought you were making nice with the administration. Did curiosity finally kill the cat?"

"Who the hell are you?" Her voice is oddly subdued.

"Why are you here? That seems fair doesn't it, an answer for an answer."

"From the way you talk, you seem as if you already know everything about me. Would I be telling you anything you don't already know?"

"Probably not."

"Who are you?" She seems to be genuinely puzzled now. "I know I have never met you anywhere before and yet, you managed to knock Ryo down. Are you like him?"

"Somewhat. Ryo and I have something of a history together. Tell me, has he told you what he is?"

"Yes."

"And you still chose to follow him here."

"Yes." Her voice is quieter now. I begin to feel just a little bit guilty about putting her through this.

"Loyalty is an admirable trait but do not put your own life at risk just to satisfy it."

"It is not just that. I..." She trails off and I wait for her to continue. "How much do you know about Ryo?" She questions after a long moment.

"I know enough."

"But what is it that you know? He trusted me with his secrets. If you don't know what he is then this conversation ends now."

I sigh softly. "Akiyama, Ryo is a creation of the Elders. He came to your world at the beginning of the D-Reaper incident and helped you, Katou, Juri, Shioda, Hirokazu and Kitagawa, Kenta. From what I understand, you four were the last line of defense and you were failing before he showed up and helped you. After that there was the problem with the Order of the Dark Path and then the Great Crisis. Your Earth would have been rubble a long time ago if it had not been for Ryo Akiyama."

"You know everything, don't you?"

"Yes, it's as you said, the more that I know, the shorter my life gets. It is actually quite sloppy on their part, letting me have all this information swirling around in my head."

"Who sent you?"

"The IDCF. They were behind my rebirth."

"You mean that you are like Ryo?"

"I'm sure that they designed this body using the principles that the Elders used to create the Chosen. However, the information I have inside my head is from one of the Chosen. In fact, this whole personality seems to be his."

"Which one were you? I seem to vaguely remember Ryo telling me something about the Chosen a long time ago. I think we even had a television show of your exploits on our world."

"Oh really?" This is something unexpected. I had no memories of Ryo ever mentioning this. "How did the show end?"

"You lot had managed to turn the Digimon Emperor back to his normal self and then beaten Belial-Vamdemon. I think there was some other plot thread left hanging too. Sorry, I wasn't much of a fan. The show was cancelled after the second season but there was a prologue that showed what happened fifty years later or something like that."

"Do you remember anything from the prologue?"

"Bits and pieces. The world was full of Digimon and all of you were living happily ever after with children of your own. Something along that fashion anyway. Like I said, I was not that big a fan."

I chuckle loudly. "It was a show for children, I take it."

"Yeah, it was fairly popular among the junior high kids."

"I suppose it is better that they didn't show you what actually happened after Vamdemon. It got a whole lot more violent for one. Do you know that I killed my very first person when I was fourteen."

"I've got you there. I murdered a defenseless boy when I was eleven. It was before Ryo found me. I was so angry back then over the most trivial things. That boy wasn't even at fault either. I forced him into an impromptu fight and he was only trying to protect his Digimon. I can still remember his body lying broken on the floor and I remember thinking that I had done this."

"How did you deal with it?" I am glad she has finally decided to open up to me. Perhaps now, I can learn what I need to know.

"I ran away. How else do you think an eleven year old would deal with it? I even lost myself for a time, denying that I had ever committed the act. All that disappeared the day I learned his name. Matsuda, Takato, that name haunted me for a long time until I ran into Ryo. He was so kind and gentle despite everything I did to drive him away and then one day, I realized that he had found a place in my heart." Ruki sighed, drawing her knees up to her chest. "I wanted to know who he was since he surrounded himself with so much mystery. I remember learning the truth and thinking what a lonely existence he had. He had been alone since his birth and the only thing he had known was fighting but still he had such a gentle soul. I wanted to save him like he had saved me."

"You are in love with him?"

"I... don't know. I just know that I felt things with him that I've never felt before. It tore upon my heart. Have you ever felt that way about anyone?"

"Yes," I whisper quietly. "When I was young, my family was murdered. I think I went mad for a little while. I killed and killed and killed, and with every murder, I lost a part of myself. I was so consumed with getting revenge over what I had lost that I forgot I still had someone I cared about and who cared about me. I made a promise that I would come back to her and I ended up breaking it because I didn't think she could love me after the monster I had become. I hurt her terribly but she broke through every barrier I put up. In the end, after all I had done, she forgave me."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know. She died but I can remember her saying that she would wait for me on the other side. I remember believing it. If there was anyone that could accomplish something through sheer determination, it was she. Sadly, my memories come to an end the day I died. I have no idea if the original me ever found her."

"She sounds like an extraordinary woman. Who was she?"

I laugh softly. "You did not think she was quite so extraordinary when she was trying to destroy your home."

I hear a gasp from the next cell. "You're talking about..."

"Yes." I can't really keep the grin from my face.

"But that would make you..."

"Yes. It is funny, isn't it? Here I was trying to pump you for information and I end up giving myself away. I guess I just needed to talk. I never did well with loneliness."

"How did they bring you back?"

"Before I died, I created a neural net. It was supposed to be a recording of my memories, of everything I have experienced and done. I never imagined that they would use it in this type of fashion. Careless on my part, I suppose."

"And they sent you to track down Ryo. It makes sense. Get a Chosen to fight a Chosen."

"I doubt it is that simple. Tell me, why did they put you in here?"

"When I first came here, I met a man named Victor that I recognized. He took me in and explained that something had happened to Ryo and he had run away with a deadly virus. The story never made complete sense to me and I doubt it was true. After the fight yesterday, I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I saw that the passengers on that train we were on had been exposed to the virus. Somehow, I had been spared. I went to Victor's office this morning to ask why they had not started doing tests on me. It was obvious that Ryo had given me the antidote to the virus. The quicker we worked that out, the closer we would be to resolving this situation. However, when I got there..."

* * *

"Ms. Makino, you cannot go in there." The annoying little secretary intoned yet again as Ruki marched purposefully towards the closed office door. She pulled it open, stepping inside and paused as two men turned to look in her direction.

"Gennai." Ruki blinked at the old man. "When did you..."

"Only a little while ago." He smiled at her, walking forward and taking her hand. "I am sorry to hear about Ryo," he cast a somewhat annoyed glance at the man standing behind him, "finally. We will do everything we can to find him."

"Yes, well," Ruki pulled her hand out of his, "I came to talk about something else. It occurred to me just now that I never asked about an antidote to this virus. Is there one?"

Gennai was about to say something but Victor beat him to it.

"Yes, there is an antidote but Ryo took that with him as well."

"Then, is there a reason why you have not started examining my blood yet? People were contaminated with the virus on that train I was on yet I survived. Ryo has obviously given me the antidote."

"It makes little difference at this point," Gennai said, his tone darkening a little. "We would only be wasting manpower by trying to come up with an antidote now when we should be trying to find Akiyama."

"But the people of this planet don't know anything about this conflict. They are just innocent bystanders. Furthermore, if this situation worsens, we will only be calling attention to ourselves. We need that antidote not only to cover up our involvement but also to force Ryo's hand."

Gennai sighed. "There is no way to dissuade you from this?"

"There isn't." Ruki shook her head. "You two are hiding something from me. This situation only confirms it. If you don't comply I will take this straight to the Council of Worlds. They will be very interested to learn of these unofficial operations you have going here."

"I see." Gennai snapped his fingers andshe felt something press into her back.

Rukimentally cursed herself for forgetting about the secretary. She was almost sure that it was she that was holding a gun to her back.

"Have you called the guards?" Gennai questioned.

"Yes sir, they are waiting outside," the secretary responded.

"Good, have them escort Ms. Makino to the holding area. We will decide what to do with her later."

* * *

I close my eyes as Ruki finishes her story. "I expected as much," I sigh. "Gennai is behind this whole ordeal. I just wish I knew what the man hopes to gain by doing this."

"I think it is time you told me what you know about this whole situation."

"It is a long story," I caution.

"Do you have somewhere to go?"

I chuckle at the minor quip. "A woman of humor. I like that. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you everything now. You are in it as deep as I am." Clearing my throat dramatically, I begin. "The roots of what is happening now were planted several millennia ago. That story is far too long to tell but it did lead to the event which everybody calls the Great Crisis. The basics you need to know are that the Chosen were created by a race of being called the Elders. This race is quite old and from what I understand, they are unique in that they exist in only one dimension. They are not as widespread as us humans. Another thing of note is that they are powerful telepaths.

This race created the Chosen to battle against a being of Chaos. The group of Chosen I was a part of, were the ones who were finally charged with killing that particular being. Afterwards, I was cursed with eternal life for certain crimes I had committed that were unforgivable. Gennai is another person with eternal life although it came about because of a bargain he made with another Chosen a long time ago.

In any case, on my seven hundredth year, Ryo came to visit me. Through a little bit of bargaining on his part, I was pulled into the Great Crisis. Now, I assume you know that this event was caused by an Elder?"

"I do. He came to my planet and caused a lot of destruction. We are still trying to recover from the aftereffects."

"Yes, I would imagine that it would take the citizenry a while to recover. The Elder that came to your world was unique in that he was the beginning of the next stage of evolution for his race. His powers far surpassed those of his brethren and because of this, they could not control what eventually happened.

That particular Elder went mad. His telepathic powers were so powerful that he somehow became tuned to the subconscious thoughts of humanity. It was through this that he decided that humanity wanted an end to its existence and he took it upon himself to ensure that."

"So, he looked into man's subconscious and found that all we wanted was self extermination? That doesn't make any sense."

"Doesn't it? Tell me, have you ever been afraid of what the future might bring? Haven't you ever had the desire to freeze things just the way they are if circumstances are going right for you? Your whole relationship with Ryo must have had a few moments, which you have fixated upon. The future at some point scares all of us and this was why all of us were nearly wiped out. The only way to bring peace to everybody is through death."

"All right, I'll buy that. What happened next?"

"Well, Ryo brought me to your planet and you know most of what happened next. Did Ryo ever tell you what happened at the very end with that Elder?"

"No, he didn't. I asked him but he always found some way to divert the issue."

"Well, what happened was that he and I came up with a plan to stop the Elder. My body was almost like a battery. It absorbed and retained energy from various different sources and that was what kept me immortal. When the Elder chose to unleash all of his powers and abandon his semi-mortal body, I was there to absorb all of the energies that were unleashed. However, there was a tiny piece that escaped. Ryo absorbed that piece into himself. We both knew that we could not keep that power within ourselves. There would come a time when the Elder's thoughts would manifest themselves and we would be driven down the same path that he had taken. That is what is happening with Ryo now."

"H... how did you deal with it?"

I can hear her voice catch. However, that does not stop me from saying, "I died."

There is silence for a long while.

"Tell me why he would need a virus?" She questions.

"Have you noticed the fact that when Ryo and I were fighting on the train, he never used his powers?"

"That had occurred to me. I wondered how you were able to knock him down so easily."

"He must have locked away the full extent of his powers. We can be grateful for that small favor at least. If the Elder had full access to all of Ryo's powers, we would not be alive right now."

"That does not explain why he would need the virus though."

"It has to do with death. When I first came to your world, I had a lot of power at my disposal. I can't say that I gained that power through any noble means. The four gods of my world ran afoul of me and to pay them back, I slaughtered six million people. The deaths of those people leant me the power I needed to bring about the end of those four gods. I can still see the look on Azulongmon's face at the end." I pause, thinking back on that particular event. "Anyway, for the Elder to ascend, he needs the energies released during death. It will lend him power to break down the block's Ryo put up as well as grant him enough power to stand up against the strongest demon or god of any dimension."

"And this doesn't bother you? How can you talk so coolly about this?"

"Death lost all meaning for me a long time ago. Ryo and I shared a destiny together. All that matters now is that I be there at the end." Yawning, I close my eyes and lay back on the small pallet. "That should be enough information to keep you happy. I suggest you get some rest now. Who knows what surprises will come our way next."

"Can you stop him if he does ascend."

"Me," I scoff lightly. "Even when I was a Chosen, I could not match Ryo Akiyama. His aspect is unknown to me. There was only one person I have known who was strong enough to challenge him and as I explained earlier, she died."

This time when the silence falls, it does not go away.

Random memories flit through my mind as I lie still. So much of my life has been shrouded in darkness. I hated the darkness once, hated it with all my soul. I vowed that I would destroy it completely. I ended up nearly destroying myself when I saw that it had consumed me. Perhaps it would have been better for everybody if I had died then.

Of course, I know what she would say to me if she saw me now. She would probably hold up a fist and threaten me with bodily harm if I did not quit with the self-pity. That was the type of woman Yagami, Hikari was. It brings a smile to my face.

From a long distance away, there comes a sound of a door opening.

"Salvation or Damnation, the next few moments should decide our fate," I mumble loudly enough so my next-door neighbor can hear.

She grunts but is otherwise silent.

A few moments later, a man walks into my line of sight. He has a slender build but the way he moves shows that his entirely youthful looking face hides quite a deadly potency underneath. He stares at me for a bit and then reaches into his pocket and withdraws a small pendant. Holding it up to the light, he tosses it in my direction. I catch the thrown object in midair and examine it closely.

"It is about time," I grin. "Adessy Special Forces, unit two. That's Black Ops, isn't it? I was beginning to think all of you had passed away."

The man bows his head. "Lord Houshi. My name is William Storm. I will have you out in a few minutes."

"The woman in the cell next to me is coming with us," I say authoritatively.

William bows again and gets to work. Moments later both Ruki and I are free and staring at each other face to face.

"I suppose I should reintroduce myself," I grin, bowing theatrically. "Lord Takuma Houshi, Hero of the Multiverse Federation, Hated foe of the Dark Path and various other meaningless titles I would repeat but we have little time. You, however, can call me Takeru."

* * *

Review please. 


	8. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: We have reached the end and there are only two more chapters to go after this one. Just a quick mention to Forlorn Melody, you guessed why the title is what it is. Funny thing but at one point, I was going to name this fic, At the Edge of Forever. I scrapped that title for a number of reasons but mostly because there is one final scene that won't be included until I've finished up the back story to this fic.

* * *

I remember reading several reports of life and death situations where the survivor often wrote that his, 'life flashed before his eyes,' in that one instant where he was made to confront his own mortality. I have been in countless situations of this sort and my memory of each situation is crystal clear. However, I cannot remember whether my life ever flashed before my eyes. Perhaps it is a flaw in the neural net or perhaps I have always known that whatever the situation, I would survive. Whatever the reason, I close my eyes calmly, letting the cool rain wash over me. A second later I hear the force lance discharge a deadly stream of energy in my direction as Gennai pushes the trigger.

* * *

_24 Hours Earlier_

* * *

"What exactly is Adessy Special Forces?"

"We are a covert faction of the Multiverse Federation. No one except the Founding Houses on Earth Prime know of us. Our mandate is the monitor everything that goes on in the upper hierarchy of the Federation."

"And him?" Ruki waved towards a closed door. "He is the one who founded you?"

William nodded. "Yes, Lord Houshi created us mainly to keep an eye on the IDCF and on Ryo Akiyama."

Ruki grunted, looking around once again. After their relatively simple escape from the IDCF stronghold, they had been brought to an abandoned storehouse. At which point, Takeru had withdrawn to a private room with orders that he not be disturbed. That left only her to make small conversation with their rescuer. The one respite was that he seemed to know a lot about the current situation.

The boy smiled. "I suppose you want to know what happened to Ryo Akiyama."

Ruki nodded, deciding to try the direct approach. "Yes, all I know is that six months ago, he left on a mission. I came to see if he was all right and ran into this insanity. He," she thumbed at that closed door, "told me what happened during the Great Crisis but if Ryo has kept it under control since then, what could have caused him to lose that control now?"

William sighed. "That is a long story I wanted to tell you and Lord Houshi at the same time. Perhaps he can even shed some light on what Gennai intends to do."

"And if he does, can you get any help?"

"There is a slim possibility that I may be able to contact my people but it is more likely that the IDCF will intercept any communiqué I try to send. The most I can do is put a virus into the IDCF mainframe here that will cripple their ability to create gateways to other Earths. If Akiyama is allowed to fully awaken, it falls to me to contain him."

"That is a dangerous thing to tell me. I won't allow anybody to harm him."

"Even if he is no longer the man you remember."

"Even then," Ruki said resolutely.

"And if he becomes the one thing that nearly destroyed your world?"

Ruki did not respond to that, turning away instead.

* * *

He had expected that his freedom would be limited. However, he had not expected the infection to spread so fast.

With a sigh, Takeru Takaishi rolled down the sleeve of his shirt very gently. There was very little he could do now. To cling to life meant going back to the IDCF base yet he would almost certainly lose his life if he was caught. There were quite a few unanswered questions as well. He couldn't make that decision until he had heard all the facts.

Sighing once again, he opened the door to the small room. He was just in time to hear the last exchange between Ruki and William.

* * *

"Not exactly an easy decision, is it?" The voice made them both turn towards the closed door which now stood open. "There are a lot of regrets that come with a decision like that. You can sit this out if you wish."

Ruki shook her head stubbornly. "You know that I will not do any such thing."

Takeru shrugged. "As you wish but resign yourself to the fact that before this is finished, Ryo may have to die." Without waiting for her reply, he turned to William. "Fill me in on whatever information you have gathered so far."

The boy nodded. "We became aware of this operation approximately nine months ago." He fixed Takeru with a steady gaze. "You are not the first bio-droid to be created by the IDCF. However, that first droid was given no memories. Through some process, they made it so that the neural net would give him your experience and skills but none of your memories. However, something must have leaked through because that first droid broke free of the IDCF's control. It was through the ensuing chaos that we came to learn of the droids and this base.

At first, we thought the bio-droid operation and this base were unrelated and I was sent here seven months ago to find out what purpose this base served. One month later, Ryo Akiyama was brought to the base. They tortured him for two months straight until I helped him escape. But, by then, the damage had been done. His tentative control over the fragment had slipped. Taking a few canisters of a virus the IDCF had conveniently placed for him, he escaped."

"So, you think the IDCF deliberately wanted to set the fragment inside Ryo loose." Takeru sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Have you figured out why?"

"No, I have not. It is actually very perplexing. They have kept him under close observation and have even allowed him to contact people outside this dimension."

"One thing does not make sense," Ruki interjected quietly. "If they are not trying to capture him, then why did they cooperate with me and inform me that they had sighted him?"

"I don't think they expected either you or me to succeed," Takeru responded. "The only purpose we had was to gauge how far Ryo had come. If he had killed you, it would have shown that the fragment was in complete control. Who knows what part I play in this but I intend to find out."

Neither Ruki nor William looked surprised at the statement. That changed when he added, "I want you two to stay here."

"You can't be serious," Ruki said loudly.

William was a little calmer. "With all due respect sir, I can't allow that."

In response, Takeru slowly rolled back the sleeve to his shirt. The skin underneath was in an advanced stage of decomposition. The slightest prod by Takeru's finger caused a large portion to fall to the ground. Very gently, he pulled the sleeve until it covered his arm again.

"At the rate this is spreading, I will be dead within another day or so. My life is expendable and I can take risks knowing that. You two would only slow me down at this stage." He grinned suddenly. "Besides, I have been in more of these life or death situations then both of you combined."

William moved fast, his hand going for his force lance but Takeru having anticipated the move, quickly moved forward and punched him. A well placed hit to his neck sent him to the floor, unconscious.

"These guys always were stubborn," Takeru mumbled to himself. Looking up at Ruki, he said, "I hope you won't be as difficult as he was. If I fail, I need you two to stop Ryo somehow."

"You are crazy for going through with this."

Grinning, Takeru said, "Sometimes that is the only way out of a bad situation."

* * *

A late thunderstorm in the evening complicated matters. On the other hand, as he approached the IDCF compound, it became readily apparent that stealth would not be necessary. The gate to the base stood open, beckoning him to enter. Taking a deep breath, he strode forward and entered the base.

Inside, everything was deserted. The place had not been particularly active but he had seen people the last two times he had been here. Now, there was nobody and the lack of noise really emphasized the point.

Ruki had told him the layout of the building so Gennai's office was fairly easy for him to locate. It too, was deserted. However, there was a sliding glass door behind the chair and desk, which occupied the room. He slid the glass door to the side and stepped out onto the large balcony beyond. A figure stood there, garbed in voluminous robes that were too big for his hunched frame.

"I knew you would come," Gennai said, his back to Takeru. "It fits in perfectly with your reckless style."

"You know what they say about old dogs and new tricks. I have to say, I am impressed. You moved a lot quicker then I expected."

"You think so." Gennai turned around. "Actually, everything I have been planning comes to fruition tonight. There was no reason to keep the rest of the ants around anymore."

"I take it that means Ryo is on his way here."

Gennai nodded. "I had originally planned to release Ryo when we had perfected the virus we took from the Dark Path. However, he broke free before we could suitably prepare him. Of course, it didn't really matter in the long run. Having him out there worked to our benefit and we even got to test out our latest bio-droid model."

"Which would be me." Takeru sighed. "Why are you doing this? We once fought for a common purpose. Why would you betray all that?"

Gennai chuckled mirthlessly. "You clueless little fool." He reached inside his pocket and withdrew a locket. With an underhanded pitch, he threw the trinket at Takeru, who caught it in midair and opened it. Inside was a small painting of a woman with long straight black hair. Her lips were quirked in a mischievous smile.

There was a sense then of things coming full circle. His past was something he had never been able to escape. Still, this required an explanation. He looked up at the old, stooped man and waited patiently for an explanation.

"That was my daughter," Gennai said quietly.

Takeru closed his eyes. It made sense. There were some things about Gennai that had always remained a mystery but now he had a clue as to why he had allowed himself to be cursed with immortality.

"She was the Avatar of Light before Hikari," Takeru replied. "I know the story."

"Then you know the horrors she went through. It was all the fault of her fellow Chosen. They all failed her and only one of them had what it took to save her."

"I know all this. I was the one who saved her after all. And all it cost me were the lives of my two children." He couldn't quite manage to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"That is something you will have to take up with Setsuna. It was his plan after all. I only helped him execute it." Gennai stopped, thinking back to the distant past. "It should have ended then and for Setsuna, it did. However, I remained immortal because Setsuna was the only one that knew the secret of how to reverse the process."

"And you think Ryo will grant you that mercy."

"You're getting ahead of yourself, boy." Gennai lifted a hand to his face. "There is still one more thing that you're not aware of."

Takeru's eyes narrowed as Gennai's features began to shift. His long white beard receded and his hunch disappeared as he straightened to his full six foot frame. His hair also gradually changed from their silvery color to a deeper brown color. Other features such as his nose and mouth also changed until a completely different man stood before him.

"So, that was you," Takeru said softly. "I had no idea you could stoop so low as to become a servant of that Elder. Was it also your idea to bring Hikari into it?"

"No, that was the Elder's own idea. If anything, I warned him against it. She wielded far too much power to be controlled so easily."

"I see." Takeru slowly exhaled. Anger was an emotion he had rarely, if ever, allowed to take over his actions. It had burst loose on a few occasions though and right now felt like one of those rare occasions.

"Such ferocity," Gennai replied mockingly. "I may even deserve it but before you act, wouldn't you like to know the reason for your existence?"

"Not really." Takeru drew his revolver and pointed it at Gennai.

"Oh well," Gennai shrugged. "Take him."

Brilliant flashes of light suddenly surrounded Takeru. Reflexively closing his eyes, he squeezed the trigger of his gun. A loud metallic ting told him that the shot had been blocked. A fist thudded into his stomach before he could fire again and he stumbled back into another person who efficiently relieved him of his gun. The locket went clattering across the floor. Only then did he open his eyes. Overhead, lightning flashed and rain began to fall as he stared into the eyes of two men that could have passed as his twins.

"The limitation of your neural net is that you have no idea what advances have been made in technology since your death," Gennai said as he walked forward and stood between the two bio-droids. "I want to thank you for making this project a success. The tests we ran on you have finally enabled us to solve the problems with the neural net. The IDCF will have their own private army and they will bring order to the chaos Akiyama causes."

Takeru laughed. "I suppose that was the official line you fed your backers. We both know that after Ryo breaks loose of his chains, these puppets will last as well as an ordinary human against him."

Gennai drew a force lance from the folds of his robe. "You are perceptive and what you did for my daughter will earn you a quick death."

Takeru closed his eyes as the force lance discharged a deadly stream of energy in his direction.

* * *

Next: The past dictates the present and amidst the chaos arrives one figure who will tip the balance. 


End file.
